what if?
by odstpilot
Summary: Summary: What if Mihaly appeared during the fight at Anchorhead bay to rescue his granddaughters from the radicals?
1. Chapter 1

Ch 1

Mihaly looked at the radar, still showing nothing. Allowing a small moment to himself, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of his granddaughters. He remembered how the radical leaders approached him at gunpoint, and held his granddaughters as hostages. He wanted to take them to the Kingdom of Shilage, away from the fighting.

But it was not to be. Mihaly looked up at the night sky, noticing how different it felt. Before, he saw the skies as freeing and inviting him to show his skills as a pilot. But at the moment, he felt more alone than he felt before. His squadron was at Shilage castle, his granddaughters were with the radicals, and he was now flying on a personal mission that had a high chance of failure.

"Lord, if this is my last flight then so be it. I just want to get my granddaughters away from the war." he prayed.

As if God had answered his prayer, the radar chirped and he saw the transport… with 8 heavily armed fighter escorts. Looking at his munitions count, he knew his options were limited. He had to make every shot count, and avoid being pulled into a drawn out engagement. He briefly thought about disengaging and falling back to get his squadron, but knew that the transport would be long gone, most likely at the now-impregnable lighthouse tower.

With nothing to lose, he positioned himself at the large formation's rear and came closer. He could get close before they saw him, but that meant shutting down his radar, most of his electronics, and lowering his speed to mask his heat signature.

The IRST sensor was activated, and while it didn't have the accuracy or range of traditional radar it couldn't be tracked. By the time someone could pick up the IRST band, it was too late.

"I say again, we're carrying civilians. We're not here to fight." Dr Schroder said, as the Osean pilots flew past the plane.

Mihaly looked up, and saw the lead plane, an Su-35 with three strikes.

"It's mister X!" one of the Osean pilots exclaimed, fear in her voice.

"Great fucking timing." another Osean said, angry.

"Three strikes, have your pilots stand down. I'm not here to fight." Mihaly said.

"What are you here for, Colonel?" Trigger asked.

"I'm here to get my granddaughters back." Mihaly said, as he moved in closer to Trigger.

"We heard a girl on the plane. I think she identified me, saying 'that's the plane with the three strikes. The one grandpa talked about.'" Trigger said, confused.

Mihaly opened the small glove compartment on his plane and pulled out the morse code machine and sent a message to Trigger.

'Help me get my granddaughters, and i won't interfere in your mission.'

A few seconds later, he got a from Trigger.

'Deal.'

"Alma, Ionela, are you there?" Mihaly asked.

"Grandpa?!" Ionela asked, surprised.

"It's me, sweetie. I'm here." he said, looking at the transport, putting a hand on the canopy glass.

"I knew it. I told you guys grandpa would come save us." Alma triumphantly said.

Mihaly could only chuckle at her bravado. It seemed both his granddaughters inherited his grit from him.

"I can't believe it. Grandpa and three strikes flying together." Ionela said, seeing the two Flankers flying in perfect formation with each other. The rest of the Osean pilots moved away from Mihaly, as if they were afraid of his presence.

"Colonel Shilage, you know your orders. This is not part of the deal!" another voice said.

"I'm altering the deal, Ms. senator. Pray i don't alter it any further." Mihaly growled.

"Colonel Shilage, i didn't expect this stunt from you of all people. But it seems every man has their price." the senator said.

"What are you talking about?" Tabloid asked.

"She means this." an Erusean soldier said, followed by the sound of bolt being charged.

"Grandpa, help us! They're going to kill us!" Ionela screamed before her voice was muffled. Mihlay yelled in anguish, threatening to kill the Eruseans.

"Touch my granddaughters and you're fucking dead!" he swore.

"Shit! We got contacts bearing down on us. Unknowns!" Long Caster said.

Angry at the distraction, Mihaly joined the Osean pilots in taking down the Erusean fighters, though he focused on the escort drones to prevent any drone reinforcements from coming in.

"Last fighter is down. Mr X, what are you doing?" Long Caster asked, seeing the Erusean ace rocket towards the transport, now tailing the rear.

"You going to shoot us down, Colonel? You'll kill your precious grandchildren as well." the senator said.

"Senator Macron, you were for the drone program. Correct?" he asked, seeing Trigger and another of his pilots fly next to him.

"Correct. And you did a great job in advancing it." she smugly replied.

"Yes. And it allowed me to sharpen my skills even more." Mihaly said, firing a burst of gunfire at the far right engine.

With the engine on fire, Trigger destroyed the far left engine and all three fighter pilots watched as the transport fell from altitude and towards the ground.

"And here we go." Mihaly muttered, as he watched the belly-landing.

"Three strikes, i'll cover you from the air. Land and get my granddaughters out." Mihaly said, as he fired missiles at the incoming Erusean ground forces.

Taking a deep breath, Trigger and Tabloid landed their planes on the ground away from the crashed transport.

"Remember, grab the girls. Forget about everything else." Trigger ordered, as they headed towards the wreckage, pistols drawn. Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the crash-site, as Erusean radicals open fire pinning them down.

"Shit!" Tabloid shouted, firing his G18.

"Mr X, we've stirred up a hornets nest down here. We could use some support!" Trigger shouted, as put his 9mm in his holster and pulled out a spare revolver from his boot and fired until he ran out.

"Copy that. Get your heads down." Mihaly said, performing a strafing run.

Tabloid and Trigger crouched as they heard gunfire erupt ahead of them. They were always in the sky, diving down on their hapless foes. Now they were in the trenches like everyone else.

"Coast is clear! Grab a rifle and follow me!" Trigger said, leaping from cover and headed to the plane. As he ran forward, an Erusean soldier rose up only to get 5 rounds in the chest. Trigger grabbed the soldier's rifle and continued to the wreckage.

"Alma, hold my hand. We're leaving." Ionela said, coughing because of the smoke. She lead her younger sister thru the wreckage, hearing gunshots and the roar of jets above. Looking thru the smoke, she saw an adult figure approaching them. Thinking the person was friendly, she headed towards the figure, only to stop cold when she heard the senator's voice.

"Where do you think you're going?" she growled, pointing a submachine gun at the girls.

"You'll never win. Grandpa and three strikes are here." Ionela firmly said.

"If you think that'll intimidate me, you're…" she started, when bullets hit the metal behind her.

Turning around, senator Macron gasped in pain as she was stabbed with a bayonet. Falling onto her back, she rolled on her stomach and attempted to crawl away on one hand, the other hand clutching the bleeding wound.

Ionela backed away, keeping her younger sister away from the carnage. Behind the dying Macron, another person appeared, holding a rifle with a blood-stained bayonet at the end. He walked towards Macron and stepped on her foot, stopping her from crawling. She looked at the pilot, and began to beg for mercy. But the soldier was not in the mood for mercy.

Raising his weapon, he brought it down thru her eye and burrowed the blade up to the rifle barrel. "Mr X, your granddaughters are safe. I'm taking them back to me and Tabloid's planes." Trigger said, pulling his rifle out of the corpse.

"Make it fast, You got ground targets heading to the crash. There might be fast movers also. I almost forgot. My granddaughter's names are Alma and Ionela. Is Tabloid flying a two seater?" Mihaly asked.

"He is." Trigger said.

"My granddaughters will ride with Tabloid. I'll buy you as much time as i can. Sol 1, out."

Trigger lowered his weapon and approached Ionela, who was rightfully afraid of him. Dropping to a knee, he put the rifle down and removed his helmet.

"I'm the pilot with the three strikes. Your grandfather sent me to save you two." he said, extending a hand out, hoping that Ionela would use her senses.

Ionela carefully grabbed his hand, wondering if this wasn't a trick. She did just see him brutally kill the senator who was about to murder her. Would he do the same?

"It's okay. I'll take you to your grandfather." Trigger said. That seemed to calm both the girls and they grabbed his hand.

"Tabloid, take Alma to your jet. I'll take Ionela. We're moving out." Trigger ordered.

"Copy that. Come on, Alma. lets meet Mr X." Tabloid said.

Both pilots left the wreckage, a weapon in one hand, and a girl in the other hand. Trigger would have laughed at the situation they were in, but he was in no mood to do so.

"Trigger, take point!" Tabloid said.

With Mihaly flying top cover, the two ran towards their jets and turned around upon hearing a massive explosion, as Mihaly dumped his remaining ordnance onto the cargo plane. Snapping himself out, Trigger headed to Tabloid's F-18F, seeing Tabloid opening the canopy.

"Ionela, you go first. Your sister will have to sit on your lap." Trigger said, and he lifted the girl to Tabloid.

"When will we see grandpa?" Alma asked.

"Very soon." Tabloid assured.

Tabloid ascended into the air and was followed by Trigger. The two looked for Mihaly, and saw the black-orange aircraft heading towards them.

"Three strikes, i'd like to speak with my granddaughters." Mihaly said, flying next to Tabloid.

Tabloid took off the mouthpiece and and tossed it to the girls.

"Grandpa?" Alma asked.

"It's me. I told you two i'd come for you." Mihaly said.

"I'm so happy. Thanks grandpa. Thank you!" Ionela exclaimed.

"Grandpa, are you coming with us?" Ionela then asked.

Mihaly looked down at the burning wreckage of the Erusean transport, and his heart sank. Once again, this war was separating him from his granddaughters.

"No. I can't." Mihaly said.

"Why not?" Ionela asked, holding back tears. Her grandfather put everything on the line to rescue them, and now he couldn't go with them?

"They'll be searching for me. I killed Erusean soldiers. They know who flies this plane. It's the only way to keep you girls out of harms way." he said.

"Grandpa, please!" Alma exclaimed, tears running down her face.

"I'm sorry. Alma, Ionela. Listen carefully. I love you two so much. When this war ends, i'll come look for you. I promise." Mihaly said, struggling to hold back his tears.

"Pilot with the tree strikes, take good care of my granddaughters." Mihaly said, as he peeled away from the two Oseans.

"Colonel, when the fighting ends, where can we find you?" Trigger asked.

"I'm sending you two coordinates. I'll be in one of those coordinates." Mihaly said, sending the message via morse code.

Looking down at the paper coming from the morse code machine, he gave the numbers to Longcaster, and he responded.

"Trigger, one is the light-house. The other is deep in Erusan territory. What's your plan?" Longcaster asked.

"Survive, let alone win, this war. Then take the granddaughters to see mr X." Trigger said.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

"Why do you guys call grandpa, mr X?" Alma asked.

"Short for mr experimental. We know that he flies experimental aircraft for the erusean airforce." Longcaster replied.

"Girls, you mind telling more about your grandfather?" Trigger asked, wanting to know more about his frenemy.

"What do you want to know?" Ionela softly asked.

"I want to know how he lived. His life, how he became such a great pilot. Would you mind telling me?" Trigger asked.

"Sure thing, three strikes. He was first heir to the kingdom of Shilage. It's a beautiful country. Rolling plains, bright red clouds from the sunset, and a majestic castle. It'd be a nice place to visit once the war ends." Ionela said.

"I know where i'm booking my next vacation." Tabloid said.

"I think you guys will like it." Alma said.

"So, grandpa. He was supposed to inherit the throne, but instead joined the air-force when Erusea annexed the nation. He spent years fighting constant wars. Years ago, he retired from active service and became a test pilot. He was always telling us about his tales as a pilot. He saw the northern lights, tested a supersonic airliner." Ionela continued.

"Get out of town. He flew an SST?" Count asked.

"Sure did. He really enjoyed that. He was actually banned from testing any more non-military supersonic aircraft because he was a speed demon, as others called him. If I remember correctly, he also attempted a barrel roll with the SST." she continued.

"How the hell did he survive that?" Longcaster asked.

"You'll have to ask him." Ionela countered.

"Speed demon is an understatement. He's a goddamn flying wizard. I fought him at Yinshi valley." Trigger said.

"That reminds me. He has a journal about his adventures during the war. He gave it to me just before the battle at Farbanti. Would you guys like to hear his words?" she asked.

"Go ahead. Lets see what he has to say." Tabloid said.

Ionela opened the book, and searched for entries about Yinshi valley.

"Here it is. 'I encountered a stubborn enemy, the pilot with three strikes. Only god knows what those strikes represent. But that's irrelevant. He dodged many of my missiles, and i dodged his shots as well. The interesting thing about this pilot, is his flying skills. He's very aggressive, like me and yellow 13. I managed to get a missile hit on him, but failed to bring him down. He twirled his fighter and dissipated the blast away from him; the missile hit in a non-critical area. I'm going to show the rest of the squadron about this skill. Will come in handy in the war.

Yet he wasn't the only one who stayed to tango with me. His wingman, I presume, was taking potshots at me when he got the chance. The pilot almost got me a couple of times. Thank god for countermeasures and a supermaneuverable plane. While it was clear this enemy wasn't as skilled as three strikes, I do respect him for covering his leader. What baffles me, is that the rest of his squadron fled the second sol squadron appeared. The Osean recon planes i can understand. They had no ammunition to fight with, and had no choice but to flee. I'd do the same in their shoes.

But the rest of his squadron… if they also ran out of ammo or were low on fuel, i totally understand them retreating. Why fight if you don't have the means to do so? Maybe three strikes told his squadron to retreat and live another day. But if they had plenty of fuel and ammo and they abandoned their leader to die, i'm going to make their deaths as painful as possible. If they were in my squadron…'" Ionela stopped, not wanting to read more.

"Go on. What does he say next?" Trigger asked.

"'If they were in my squadron, I'd personally shot them the second i got the chance. Desertion in war is punishable by the death penalty. And the commanding officer has full authority to carry out the sentence as they see fit. It's not the first time I had to do such a thing.'" Ionela read from the journal.

"Damn. Guy was a man of grit. Anything else?" Jeager asked.

"'Dear diary, today i murdered two of our scientists because they added a code of programing that told the drones to shoot at any parachuting Osean airmen. Of course, i scared the hell out of my granddaughters and princess Rosa because they saw I had a shit-eating grin on my face after I carried out the deed. But, you reap what you sow. God knows I will. On the plus side, Dr creep(AKA Dr Schroder) is being more cautious with the drone program. However, my granddaughters are warning me about him. I'll keep an eye on him, and a loaded revolver in my boot.

Princess Rosa is starting to become obsessed with three strikes. She's wanting to know more about him. She's done some research on him, and I've caught her daydreaming about meeting three strikes. God forbid I encounter her jerking off about him. Now that I wrote it, I will encounter that. Karma is a bitch...

I encountered three strikes and his squadron today. We arrived just after they had shot down our IRBMs and were about to head home. They didn't know that the missiles were duds, a coverup to put more satellites in space. And it worked. The fight was originally supposed to be squadron to squadron. Instead, it became a one-on-one duel between me and three strikes. Everyone else just flew in a large circle, watching us. It felt like we were gladiators for the mob's entertainment.'" Ionela finished, closing the book.

"I remember that fight. He told me that the Erusean soldiers fear me, and that the princess intrigued with me. Then his wingman says 'intrigued? The woman is obsessed with him. Next thing you know, she'll give us a mission to capture three strikes and bring him to her alive.' How ironic." Trigger said.

"Ironic?" Alma asked.

"We captured Rosa during the fighting of Farbanti. Though i think she was about to defect when the radicals ousted her from power." Jaeger said.

Back at the base, princess Rosa was waiting for the squadron's return when Avril showed up.

"Waiting for your knight in shining armor's return?" Avril joked.

"Actually, yes. I still can't believe it." Rosa said.

"Be thankful you're still alive. I've heard in some countries once they had a revolution, the monarchy had their heads cut off. Looks like you got off the hook." Avril said.

Rosa chuckled in response.

"Hey, your boyfriend's back." Avril said, as they saw the squadron return. Rosa wanted to run out to the hangers and pull Trigger into a bear hug, but composed herself. She was still the leader of Erusea.

"What the hell?" Avril asked, seeing the pilots return. She saw Trigger and Tabloid taking point. In one hand each held a rifle, and the other hand was holding something on the shoulder.

"Trigger, what did you get yourself into?" Avril asked.

"Long story. Rosa, I believe you know these two." Trigger said, putting Ionela down.

"Oh my god." Rosa said, running to them. The girls ran towards Rosa and were pulled into a hug by the princess.

"Thank you, guys. Thank you." She said.

"Grandpa came and saved us." Alma said.

"You guys saw mr X?" Avril asked.

"Long story. He came to rescue his granddaughters. Shot down the transport plane, then bombed it to hell when the girls were out." Tabloid said.

"Was your mission a success?" Rosa asked.

"We got Lebarth out of the city. But it's hell out there. Your country is falling into civil war, and god knows when It'll end." Trigger said, sitting next to her.

"At least you came back alive." Rosa said, resting her head on Trigger's shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Trigger and the three Eruseans were sitting across from Longcaster. They were recalled from the after-mission briefing, and the mood was grim and dour. Lebarth was dead, and any hope of a quick end to the war also.

"Now comes to our next problem. We don't have enough spare rooms for the girls. So they'll have to bunk with you and the princess." Longcaster said, before facepalming himself.

"Sir, i object. They're underage." Trigger said.

"I understand, Trigger. But they seem to be friends with the princess, and so are you." Longcaster said, ignoring the deathglare his top pilot was giving him.

"Fine. I'll go with it. But for the record, this sleeping arrangement is not my idea." Trigger said.

Trigger led them to his quarters, opening the door. The room was rather spartan, with some clothes, a spare gravity suit, and a rifle lying against the wall.

"What's with the rifle?" Ionela asked.

"Everyone on this base is to be armed at all times. We're in enemy territory, so it pays to be prepared." Trigger said, grabbing the rifle and slinging it.

"Girls, time for bed." Rosa said.

Sleep didn't come easy for the girls. Alma woke up screaming, as memories of the recent fight plagued her mind.

"Alma, calm down!" Rosa exclaimed, holding the young girl close to her. Alma whimpered, clutching the princess with all her strength.

"Do you guys have any drugs or medicine that can help?" Rosa pleaded.

"At her age, it'll only make it worse. Hell, the fact that she was able to sleep is a miracle of itself." Trigger said, as he knelt alongside Rosa.

"Three strikes, will everything be okay?" Ionela asked.

"It will. I promise, I will not rest until this war ends." Trigger said, as he pulled the trio into a hug, as best as he could. The girls calmed down, in the arms of the man who just saved them from death itself.

Morning came, and Trigger woke up to see Rosa in his arms. He wished he could rest a little longer, with the beautiful princess in his arms.

"Trigger, time to get up." Count said, knocking on the door.

…

"I am extremely frustrated!" the leader of the radicals exclaimed, banging his fist on the table.

"We lost a lot of drones and fighters during the fighting over the bay." an advisor said.

"That wouldn't be a problem, but we lost dr Schroder, and all his research! And the most damning piece of all, is that Colonel Shilage blew the plane to hell to rescue his precious granddaughters. And his plan fucking worked!"

"You think he could defect to the Osean forces?"

"It's a strong probability. We know he retreated to Shilage castle. He could stay isolated, or not. He killed Erusean soldiers in the operation. We know he's already killed two of our scientists. And this recent stunt has proved he's dangerous, erratic. A lone wolf let loose that's been amped up on crank. We need to put this rabid wolf down."

"With what? Our forces are bogged down fighting at Tyler island. We can only spare a few planes."

"We have the drones from the sole arsenal bird. The forces at Shilage castle are small and weak. We can spare about 20 drones, plus 20 fighters escorts. That should be enough. Even the king of the skies can't stop all that firepower."

…

Mihaly looked down at Shilage castle, sighing in sadness. His mission was a success, his granddaughters away from the frontlines. While he wasn't friends with the Oseans, he hoped that Three strike would take care of his granddaughters.

Yet another thought plagued his mind. He retreated to the castle instead of going with three strikes, and for a good reason. The radicals were coming. He most likely killed dr Schroder and any other important officials. He didn't give a damn about the radicals, conservatives, or any other faction out there. His granddaughters were safe for the time being.

"No. They're not safe. Even three strikes isn't invincible. The only way they'll be safe, is if this war ends for good. And i can't keep them safe by cowering behind the walls of the castle. Hell, i can't believe I'm considering joining three strikes." Mihaly muttered as he landed on the runway.

…

The mission to retake Tylor island was a disaster. Even Princess Cossette couldn't convince the conservative faction to side with the Osean forces. The result was one of the biggest bloodbaths the war had yet seen, matched only by the Belkan war.

"Jesus, Trigger. The Eruseans killed children. Fucking kids. That's insane." Tabloid said.

"I know. It's like the Belkan war again. Hoffnung, the seven pillars. And this time, we're fighting against machines. It's like battlestar galactica, or terminator." Trigger said.

Night came, and Rosa couldn't sleep. She witnessed first hand her own people turning on each other. Her dog was killed, and she herself was almost killed. It was the second time three strikes saved her life.

"Why? Why would they do this?" She asked, seeing the now-dried blood on her hands.

"From what I can tell, the conservatives blame you for the war, and want you dead. The radicals want you dead because you no longer serve their goals." Trigger said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"While escorting Lebarthe, he talked about how the radicals gained power. The Belkan drones convinced everyone, including you, to go with the war. It makes sense. Erusea appears as the good guys, fighting to defend against an imperialistic Osea, and they're using drones that minimize casualties. Meanwhile, the Oseans are bombing Erusean citizens left and right. Hell of a PR stunt." Trigger said.

"But it's all gone to hell. And it's my fault." Rosa said, realizing that Trigger was right. She was a fool, and had done nothing to help end the war. Even Mihaly was doing more, since he destroyed the transport that may have contained sensitive data on the radical's plans.

"Maybe. But now we have a chance to end the war. We're close, Rosa. Your people need you. Just a little longer. When this war is over, if you want to take a vacation away from the continent, I'll take you there. Just say the word." Trigger said, holding her.

"Thanks, Trigger. I've heard that Emmeria has wonderful beaches. Of course, the capital of Yuktobania is also a crown jewel." Rosa said.

"We got plenty of time on our hands." Trigger said.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

"Settle down. As you all know, supplies are running low. While the Eruseans have left us alone, we can't take the chance. We need to be able to push back any threat." Longcaster said.

"If we can't communicate with Osea, and since time is against us, where are we going to the supplies?" Huxian asked.

"You're not suggesting what i think you are, are you?" Jeager asked, a look of horror on his face as he realized their next mission.

"I'm afraid so. Inside Erusea, there's a castle that's been converted into a supply base: Shilage castle." Longcaster briefed.

Trigger lowered his head, remembering the girls talking about the castle. But they needed the supplies. They could deal with the aftermath when the war ends.

"It's occupied by some Erusean forces that have broken off from the main group. Strider squadron's mission will be to clear the way for our transport planes."

Rosa clenched her fists in disbelief. They were going to raid the castle, and rob innocent people of desperately needed supplies. Though it seemed that the pilots themselves weren't happy with their orders. Some already started smoking cigarettes, trying to numb their nerves.

"We need to talk." Rosa said, pulling Trigger aside.

"What?" Trigger asked, as he headed to a nearby armory, swapping his rifle for a machine-gun.

"This is insane! Trigger, you're going to raid them like a bunch of marauders!" Rosa said.

"I don't like this, but we have no choice." Trigger said.

"No choice. That's what i thought at the start of the war. Now look at us. Your assault could cripple their ability to defend themselves." Rosa warned.

"Not if it goes right. We can be in and out before casualties mount." Trigger tried to reason.

"And if something goes wrong? You raid more areas?" Rosa asked.

"We're not going to make a habit of this." Trigger said.

"I can't justify this course of action." Rosa said.

"Rosa, get it thru your fucking skull! This is our last option to continue fighting! If we don't do this and the Eruseans attack, we're all dead! And they'll parade you and the Shilage girls naked as war trophies." Trigger yelled.

That threat stopped Rosa in her tracks.

"You don't know that." she said, her defiance breaking.

"But would you take that chance?" Trigger asked.

"No." Rosa said.

"Damn war." Trigger spat.

…

No-one spoke during the flight to the castle. Everyone knew their orders. And everyone hated it.

"Proceed to Shilage castle. No friendlies in sight. No need to ID your targets and…" Longcaster started before he stopped.

"Longcaster, what is it?" Tabloid asked.

"Shit! Everyone, pull back now!" he ordered, seeing his fellow pilots retreat.

"Longcaster, what is it?" Trigger asked.

"Bad news. I'm getting reports of 30 aircraft at the castle."

"30?! There's no way we can fight thru them all." Count bemoaned.

"What the? I'm getting an SOS message." he said.

"This is Wit, of the Voslagian airforce. We're under attack by the radicals! Any friendlies, please respond!"

"So what? Let them kill each other. Less enemies for us to fight." Count said.

"Even so, that's still alot of enemies to fight. Damn it. There's got to be another way." Huxian said.

"There is. All aircraft, i'm tagging the Shilage/Voslagian aircraft as friendlies. Your orders are to take out the radicals." Longcaster said.

"What did you say?" Count asked.

"Think about it. We help them against the radicals, maybe we won't have to steal the supplies from them. And if they refuse, we're in a position of strength to take it by force." Jeager pointed out.

"Fine. Lets just get this over with." Count spat.

"This is the three strikes from the LRSSG. We're here to help." Trigger said.

"Three strikes? Never thought i'd hear that." Ronald said.

Approaching the castle, they fired their missiles, taking out several enemy planes in one strike. The radicals were caught off guard, and turned to face the new-comers.

"There are more vehicles along the road. They don't appear to be military." Count said.

"They're refugees. They must be fleeing since the conflict got worse." Jaeger replied.

Seeing enemy planes approaching, Trigger and his squadron immediately tangled with the planes. It was clear that the radicals were hurting from the war and their over reliance on drones. The newest batch of pilots weren't as tough or skilled as the previous Erusean pilots they faced.

"These pilots are nuggets. Why send them?" Tabloid asked.

"They're trying to use numbers and brute force, instead of skill and cunning. When we picked them up heading towards us, a quarter of them turned tail and ran. Or they were ordered by their masters to retreat. Our enemy must be hurting real bad." Seymour said, as he also dueled an enemy plane.

Trigger could only agree. He tailed some poor sucker in a MiG-21, who cut the breaks and let Trigger fly over him. Hearing the radar warning, Trigger easily pulled the stick on his gut, and his SU-30SM performed a Kulbit.

"Just like champ." Trigger said, as he fired a missile into his enemy.

"You're scary, Trigger. You know that?" Count asked.

"Lets just get this mission over with." Trigger said, pinching his nose. He was sick of Count running his mouth off during missions, especially since the war was going so horrible for everyone.

"So what's this faction split from the Erusean military?" Count asked.

"Do you ever shut up?" Trigger muttered under his breath.

"The autonomous state of Shilage used to be a nation. The region has always leaned towards independence. Those who want to restore their homeland flock to it. Their core consists of officers from Voslage, which neighbored Shilage." Jaeger explained.

"I heard they have some good pilots." Tabloid said.

"We may have faced them during the war." Count said.

"Shilage pilots, where is mr X?" Trigger asked, as he gunned down a drone.

"He'll be here soon. We just have to hold out as long as we can." Wit said.

The fight dragged over the castle, and a furball of missiles and bullets tore across the skies. No quarter was asked, and none was given. It was a fight of extermination. The outnumbered and outgunned Shilagea/Osean pilots using all their wits and battle skills to take on the numerous radicals.

"Lets show them what the Voslagian air-force capable of." Seymour said, as he dodged a missile, and fired at one of the radicals.

"Go after the manned fighters. The drones will be slow as hell." Wit advised.

"You sure about that?" Count asked.

"We've been working with these drones long before the war started. Of course i'm sure about it." Wit snarled.

"I thought your drones were fully automated." Tabloid said.

"They were. But these drones appear to be in slave mode to the manned fighters." Wit said.

Trigger trailed two drones and shot them down, watching as the remains crashed into the castle.

"Take in civilians and refugees without discrimination! Get away from the stone buildings and take shelter somewhere sturdier or underground! Get everyone underground! If you hear a jet engine, get down and cover your head!" an officer on the ground ordered.

"This town is of high cultural importance. It's unfortunate it's being bombed as it is." Jaeger said, as he led another fighter into the guns of Sol 5.

"So much for my vacation." Tabloid said, as he saw the AA defenses from the castle firing every round they had. Looking down, Trigger saw them fight harder than any Erusean he'd fought before. He felt a sense of kinship with the soldiers below. It was a last stand, and they knew it.

Despite their best efforts, the radicals were pushing them back, cornering them like a frightened animal.

"Shit, we losts Sol 4." Trigger said.

"I hope he's okay. Bailing out over these conditions." Wit said.

"I can see his chute from here." Seymour observed. Only for a drone to shoot the chute to pieces. The pilot fell to his cruel death, far above the ground.

"Jesus. I can't watch." Tabloid said.

"You defile this country. As long as you're here, this country will never know peace." Wit snarled to the radicals, taking down two more drones in the process.

"Where the hell is mr X?!" Trigger exclaimed.

The flaming wreckage of Sol 5 fell past his canopy, catching by surprise.

"Damn it. Even with the snowbirds, we can't buy ourselves time." Wit said.

A loud cracking noise was heard, and 3 of the radicals went down at once.

"A new record." a growling baritone voice said.

"King. He's here." Wit said, as the few radicals retreated from the new foe.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5

Mihaly appeared in his new X-02S. Armed with air-to-air missiles and a large underslung railgun, he came to fight.

"I'm testing this aircraft. You must find your own sky." Mihaly said.

"We can still help you." Wit pleaded.

"Don't waste your lives. Dedicate them to reclaiming that which you call home, and find someone to guide you. I am not that person." Mihaly said, firing his railgun at the radicals.

"Fine. All Voslagian units are advised to temporary withdraw. Don't die. As long as we live, or dreams will live on." Wit advised.

He and Seymour watched as Mihaly flew in formation with Trigger, taking on the radicals.

"Shit. we're facing three strikes and mr X. There's no way we can win." one of the radical pilots bemoaned.

Mihaly could only grin. He was fresh and ready for the fight, with a brand-new plane. He relished the opportunity to test his new plane.

"Three Strikes, tell your squadron to pull back. I want to test this plane out myself." Mihaly said, as he fired another round from the railgun.

"Copy that. Strider squadron, pull back. Me and Mr X will take them on. Form a perimeter and prevent anything from coming in." Trigger ordered.

"Copy that. Might just cost us our lives." Count said.

"Three strikes, you mind telling me why your squadron is here?" Mihaly asked.

"Is this really the right time?" Trigger asked, as he dodged a missile from a drone.

"We might not make it from this fight. But i do want to know one thing. Which one of your pilots were the shitheads who left you to die at Yinshi valley?" Mihaly asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Count asked.

"Personal reasons." the Colonel responded. Noticing a missile heading towards him, he accelerated away and pulled his nose up as hard as he could. The missile detonated, and shrapnel peppered his plane.

"You've learned what i showed your squadron at the valley." Trigger said.

"Correct. Get closer." he said, snarling the last part of the drone tailing him. The drone chased him, only for Mihaly to perform a half-kulbit and blew the drone to pieces with the railgun.

"Damn, Colonel! If you had that plane at Yinshi valley or the other times we dueled, i'd be dead." Trigger exclaimed.

"No kidding. So why are you guys here?" Mihaly asked.

"I'll tell you when the skies are clear." Trigger said.

"Can't believe Trigger is buddy-buddy with the man who killed Wiseman, and other Osean pilots." Count said.

"That's war, you dumbass. People die no matter how hard you fight. Haven't you learned that already?" Mihaly retorted.

For once, Count didn't have anything to say.

It didn't take long for the two aces to kill all the remaining drones. The manned aircraft quickly fled, deciding to fight another day.

"So, why are you guys here?" Mihaly asked.

"We came here to take supplies from the castle. But that mission went out the window once we helped defend the castle against the radicals. Question is, what happens next." Trigger said.

Mihaly eyed Trigger's aircraft. He was more damaged, and had fewer weapons to use. Mihaly could easily shoot him down if he wanted to.

"You helped save the lives of the people at the castle. Maybe you guys won't have to raise the jolly roger." Mihaly deadpanned.

"So what? You'll try to convince them to hand over some of the supplies?" Huxian asked.

"Seems to be the only option at the moment." Trigger replied.

Landing his plane, Mihaly talked to the leader of the garrison about handing over some of the supplies to the LRSSG pilots, though the Shilagian soldiers had good reason not to do so.

"It's rather convenient that they arrived at the same time that the radicals did. For all we know, they were going to raid us for supplies."

"You're probably right. But they did save our lives. If the radicals had won, what do you think would have happened?" Mihaly asked.

"You're right, Colonel. But we can't give them the goods." the Captain said.

"I don't think we have a choice. All our defenses are exhausted or destroyed. If they decide to take it by force, there's nothing we can do to stop them. Bargain with them. Lets give them a quarter of the stuff." Mihaly said.

"Fuck. Make the call, Mihaly. I hope to God you know what you're doing."

"So do I." Mihaly said.

…

Trigger and his squadron watched with apprehension as the Shilagean soldiers gave the supplies to the LRSSG forces. The tension was thick, and it could easily turn into a shooting war.

"Three strikes, how are my granddaughters?" Mihaly asked.

"They're safe for now. Do you have any knowledge about the radicals? This attack of theirs isn't something they'd do on a whim. Why would go to all this trouble just to attack a castle that has no importance to them? We're pretty far away from the lighthouse." Trigger reasoned.

"They want me dead, because I killed doctor Schroeder and his research. Lets just say they're pissed." Mihaly said.

"But why send an entire squadron to kill one man? You can wait out the war at this castle." Trigger said.

"Correct. But they believe I could easily defect to Osea. I killed Erusean soldiers to protect my granddaughters, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch if i did." Mihaly said.  
"Are you going to defect?" Trigger asked.

"I didn't intend on it, but after this raid, they'll be gunning after me. If i want to keep my family safe, i'll need to be with them." Mihaly said, rubbing his eyes as he came to a lone conclusion.

"Shit. Looks like i'll have to defect. I doubt your leaders will be happy to see me." Mihaly said.

"They'll be suspicious, but we need everyone we can get a hold off." Trigger said.

"So survival has come to this. What a fucked up world we live in." Mihaly said.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch 6

With the supplies secured, strider squadron headed back to their base with a new-comer. Mihaly was flying under the guard of Trigger and Count and his own weapons were on safe. He was still racking his head over this impromptu defection. His squadron wasn't happy about him leaving, but Mihaly was adamant that they stay behind to protect their new nation. Mihaly simply didn't care anymore, as he was rather jaded from constant war.

"Control, this is the LRSSG. We have the supplies and need clearance to land." Longcaster said.

"Copy that. You have permission to land."

Upon landing, everyone was busy putting the planes and supplies away and looked in shock as Colonel Shilage stepped out of his X-02S.

"What the hell?" Avril asked.

"Grandpa!" Ionela exclaimed, running towards her grandfather. He saw his granddaughters heading towards him and he crouched to pull them into a hug.

"It's okay. Thank God you two are safe." he said.

The family reunion was cut short, as two MPs came towards the Colonel, weapons drawn.

"Colonel, our commander wants to meet with you." one of them said.

"Of course." Mihaly said.

Following the MPs to the briefing room, Colonel Shilage saw Longcaster, and other Osean soldiers. They weren't happy to see him, considering he was the Erusean terror.

"Sit down, Mr X. We have questions." Longcaster said.

"Of course." he said, sitting across from Longcaster.

"What do you want to know?" Mihaly asked.

"We know about the attack the Radicals made against your forces at the castle. We also know that you rescued your granddaughters at anchorhead bay. But we don't know anything else." Longcaster said.

"Let me fill in the blanks. After the ASAT strike, some of the higher ups from the radicals came to me about their final plan. They were heading to the light-house for a counter-attack." Mihaly said.

"And they hold your granddaughters hostage. Fucking bastards. Reminds me of that psychopath, captain Torres." Longcaster finished.

"That reminds me. When this war is over, i'm going after that bastard. And i want three strikes to help me." Mihaly said.

"One problem at a time. You destroyed that transport plane after Trigger and Tabloid rescued your granddaughters. Did you have any idea what was on that plane?" Longcaster asked.

"Bits and pieces. Before the battle at Farbanti, Dr Schroeder told me that if the capital fell, he would take all his research and get away from the front lines to continue his work. He didn't require a lot of equipment, just a laptop and several flash drives. And he was on that plane that i destroyed. What the radicals will do next is anyone's guess." Mihaly said.

"I see. Why did you defect, Colonel?" Longcaster asked.

"I defected because i want to protect my granddaughters. That's the only reason i'm here." Mihaly said.

"So, you don't care if we win or lose this war?" an Osean asked.

"No. Not a damn care in the world." Mihaly lied.

As the afternoon came, things went as usual. Pilots and mechanics were busy getting the planes ready for combat, hoping that the Eruseans wouldn't launch attacks against them. As he was repairing his SU-30, Trigger heard laughter and turned his head and saw Mihaly watching his granddaughters play around.

It was rather surreal. They were in the middle of a war that may not end for some time, and Mihaly's granddaughters were playing around as if it were nothing. Though Mihaly's face was stoic and appeared hardened, he was happy for his granddaughters that they could use this small moment to live as if there wasn't a care in the world. It was a luxury he and his fellow pilots couldn't afford, yet they'd fight tooth and nail to secure it for others.

"It's hard to believe that anyone could be happy in a time as this." Count said.

"I just remembered what my flight instructor said. He once told me that sometimes we end up at war for so long, we forget what we're fighting for. And what we're fighting for, is a future for our friends and loved ones." Trigger said.

As the two pilots chatted, Huxian approached Mr X and briefly engaged him in conversation.

"So you're the famed Mr X. Not what i was expecting." she said.

"Life's full of surprise's Ms. You need anything?" Mihaly asked.

"Just to say how surreal this all is. You and Trigger had a duel to the death at Yinshi valley and over Farbanti. And now you're here working with him." she said.

"About that. At Yinshi, i noticed his squadron retreated from the battle. Why would they do that?" Mihaly asked.

"Well, i was in the recon unit. We had no ammunition and no fuel for combat. But the 444 squadron, that Trigger was part of, they had plenty of fuel and ammo. And they still fled. Trigger and Tabloid stayed behind to fight you. If it wasn't for them, especially Trigger, i'd be dead right now." Huxian said.

"The man standing next to three strikes. Is that Tabloid?" Mihaly asked.

"No. We call him Count. Trigger and Avril say it's because he inflates his kill counts. He's a glory hound, just so you know." Huxian said.

"Really? So why did he retreat? Was he ordered to?" Mihaly asked. He had no respect nor patience for glory hounds.

"I was there, and i heard their AWACs said he was sending away the damaged aircraft. But the Erusean's had little to no anti-air weapons, and the drones were focused on my group, not Trigger's. Sounds like a cover-up to me." Huxian said, shrugging her shoulders.

"So he's not a reliable pilot. What about this Tabloid?" Mihaly asked.

"He's not as good as you or Trigger, or even Count, but he's one of the most dependable pilots i've flown with. Don't tell anyone i said this, but after the Stonehenge op, Trigger told me that he'd rather have Tabloid as his wingman than Count. Count's a glory-hound. Of course, that all changed after you killed Wiseman over Farbanti." Huxian said.

Mihaly remembered his protege telling him about the death of Yellow 4 over Stonehenge, and how he changed after that battle. He was more serious and less carefree. He hoped that Count would have a similar transformation. He couldn't take any chances flying with a pilot who, by past experience, would turn tail and run when faced with a powerful threat.

…

"Three strikes, I want to duel with you." Mihaly said, approaching the Osean ace.

"What? Why?" Trigger asked.

"I've been in three duels with you, and i'd like to know once and for all who's the better pilot." Mihaly said.

"You need clearance for this." Trigger said.

"Your leader, Longcaster, said so." Mihaly answered.

As Trigger headed to his aircraft, Mihaly pulled him aside and headed towards an arsenal of pink tipped missiles.

"What are those?" Trigger asked.

"Paintball warheads. The warheads are replaced with paint. The Erusean air-force uses them during training and mock-combat." Mihaly said.

"Never heard of anything like this." Trigger said.

"How do you guys train?" Mihaly asked, as they armed Trigger's plane with the new missiles.

"For one thing, we don't fire missiles and live bullets at each other. To tell you the truth, our martial might has dropped since the Belkan war. And the war with Yuktobania only made it worse." Trigger said.

"I know. You Oseans are trying to maintain a world empire, yet are also slacking on your training. Quantity over quality. I'm 62 years old. Guess how many pilots i've killed during this war." Mihaly said.

"Don't know." Trigger said.

"40. I killed 40 Osean pilots. Imagine what i could do if i were your age. You wouldn't stand a chance, three strikes." Mihaly said.

"No time like the present, Colonel." Trigger said.


End file.
